The Bible Recap – September Reflections & Corrections (Year 7)

Episode Overview

In this special episode of The Bible Recap, host Tara-Leigh Cobble offers a comprehensive recap of the journey through the entire Old Testament, providing listeners with a 30,000-foot view of the Bible’s overarching narrative up to this transition point. She reflects on major themes, clarifies the chronological timeline, and prepares the audience for the beginning of the New Testament. The episode also addresses expectations and reading strategies for the upcoming Gospel accounts. Notably, there are no corrections to report for September.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Big Picture: The Story So Far

[00:02 – 11:20]

• The Unifying Theme: The Bible tells “one unified story.” It begins with God’s desire to build a relationship with humanity—starting with Abraham’s family, the Israelites—but that relationship is marred by human sin. Importantly, God is not surprised or thwarted by human rebellion.

  • “He already had a plan in place to restore this relationship even before it was broken…and he continues working out that plan. Immediately, undeterred and unhindered by their rebellion.” (Tara-Leigh, 00:35)

• Key Old Testament Waypoints:

  • Genesis & Patriarchs: God sets apart Abraham, despite human failings, to form a chosen people.
  • Egypt & Exodus: Israel’s 400-year enslavement results from ongoing consequences of sin. God frees them through Moses, guiding them into the desert and providing laws for stable society.
  • Wilderness & Promised Land: Continued disobedience marks Israel’s journey. “They’re uncivilized people who have only just met God and Moses, and they’re not keen on obeying either of them.” (01:34)
  • Judges and Monarchies: The failure to fully purge the Canaanites leads to idolatry and chaos. God raises up judges (military leaders), but these don’t solve the underlying heart problem.
  • Faithful Outsiders: Examples like Rahab and Ruth, “pagans who turn to follow God and his people,” preview God’s larger plan to redeem people from every nation (03:16).
  • The Kings: The people demand a king, leading to Saul (fearful, rash), David (flawed but “after God’s own heart”), then Solomon (wise but led astray). After Solomon, the kingdom fractures (04:51).
    • “Despite being the wisest man who ever lived, [Solomon] has a problem with womanizing and worshiping other gods.” (05:43)
  • Divided Kingdoms: Northern Israel (“Jerry”) and Southern Judah (“Rey”) each face decline, with God sending prophets throughout 350 years to warn and urge repentance.
  • Exile & Return: Assyrians capture the North, Babylonians the South. After 70 years, Persians allow Jews to return and rebuild. But old sins persist, and not all God’s promises are yet fulfilled.

2. Transition to the New Testament

[09:36 – 14:10]

• 400 Years of Silence: After the Old Testament, “God didn’t send prophets, and we have no written records… But we know he was there, working out his plan in the meantime, in and through his people.” (10:44)

  • Listeners are pointed to an article for more historical detail in the show notes.

• Political Landscape: The Jews are back in Israel but ruled by persisting, powerful empires:

  • Babylon → Persia → Rome: “If you care to remember the order of the empires, it's alphabetical. BPR, Babylon, Persia, Rome.” (11:32)
  • Rome will take over by 63 BC. The Jews are “tired and ready for rescue…living back in their homeland under the oppression of one of the cruelest empires in the history of mankind.” (12:09)

• Messianic Expectation: The promise of a king to defeat Israel’s enemies is still unfulfilled, leaving the people both expectant and skeptical.

• Timing of Jesus’ Birth: Setting the stage for the Gospels, Tara-Leigh clarifies that due to calendar differences, “Jesus was probably born in 6 B.C., not in year zero… King Herod died in 4 B.C.” (13:15)

3. How to Approach the Gospels

[14:11 – 18:58]

• Narrative Focus Shifts:

  • Less recap of event order (since stories are accessible), more emphasis on context and meaning to “see more of who God is on every page.” (14:48)
  • The Gospels’ chronology can be tricky—be patient with the reading plan.

• Reading the Gospels Multiple Times:

  • Matthew, Mark, and Luke are “Synoptic Gospels—meaning they cover a lot of the same territory… We’ll link to a graph showing just how much overlap there is in today’s show notes, as well as two lengthy articles if you really want to geek out on this topic.” (16:09)
  • John’s Gospel is unique, “writes like a movie director more than a biographer.” (16:54)

• Different Styles of Gospel Writers:

  • “If you like brevity and wow factor, you’ll love John…John is the action movie, but Luke is the documentary. So if you’re into details, Luke might be your guy.” (17:10)
  • Each Gospel gives a new lens on Jesus, even when telling the same story.

4. Reflections: Old Testament God vs. New Testament God

[18:59 – 21:00]

• Addressing Common Misconceptions:

  • Some struggle with “Old Testament God” seeming harsh compared to Jesus. Tara-Leigh challenges this, noting that God’s character is consistent: “He’s everything he tells us he is in Exodus 34, 6, 7.”
  • Jesus is present throughout the Old Testament: “He’s there from day one in Genesis one, creating the world… The Old Testament is full of Jesus.” (19:42)

• Encouragement for New Testament Reading: Tomorrow marks the start of the New Testament, beginning with Luke and John.

5. Corrections Segment

[21:01 – 21:32]

• No corrections for September:
  • “By God’s grace, we don’t have any corrections to report for September, so we’ll see you back here tomorrow as we start the New Testament.” (21:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Faithfulness:

  • “He already had a plan in place to restore this relationship even before it was broken.” (00:35)

• On the Israelites’ Heart Problem:

  • “But this doesn’t deal with the problem of their hearts leading them astray. The Israelites do whatever they want, leading to near anarchy.” (02:56)

• On the Diversity of the Gospels:

  • “John is the action movie, but Luke is the documentary. So if you’re into details, Luke might be your guy.” (17:10)

• On God’s Consistent Character:

  • “God the Father isn’t at all what he’s often accused of being. Instead, he’s everything he tells us he is in Exodus 34…” (19:23)

• On Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament:

  • “The Old Testament is full of Jesus. We’ve been talking about him all along.” (19:50)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Recap of Old Testament journey: 00:02 – 09:36
• 400 Years of Silence & Political Context: 09:36 – 13:15
• Gospels Overview & Reading Approach: 14:11 – 18:58
• Reflection on God’s Character & OT/NT Bridge: 18:59 – 21:00
• Corrections (none this month): 21:01 – 21:32

Additional Resources (Referenced in Episode)

• Article on 400 Years of Silence — Linked in show notes
• Synoptic Gospel Overlap Graph & In-depth Articles — Linked in show notes
• 8-Minute Video Overviews for Luke 1–9 and John 1–12 — Linked in show notes

Final Encouragement

Tara-Leigh closes with her signature reminder to look for God’s joy and faithfulness throughout the narrative—“He’s where the joy is”—and encourages listeners as they begin the New Testament.

This summary offers a clear roadmap for both first-time listeners and those continuing through The Bible Recap, highlighting the connections between Old and New Testaments and setting expectations for the study of the Gospels.